Chris Benes – President

Chris has lived in Lake Forest since 2011 with his wife Krista with whom he has two young sons, Gus (9) and Gabriel (5). He was born and raised in Chicago, IL, and graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN with a B.S. in Computer Science. He served on the Purdue College of Science Alumni Board for a number of years, one term as President. He has volunteered with Catholic Charities and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Illinois.

Chris spent 17 years in real-time embedded systems engineering in various development and management and leadership positions at telecommunication and professional audio companies including Tellabs, Motorola, and Shure. He started, built, and ran an online virtual training business for 6 years. He is currently Vice President of Software Engineering at DFIN where he is responsible for the Global Site Reliability Engineering of DFIN’s software products that provide compliance and regulatory solutions for capital markets IPO and M&A transactions and SEC filings. He enjoys serving the residents of Lake Forest as a Caucus Committee member.

Michael O’Neill – Ward 3 Chair

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Michael and his spouse, Andra, and have lived in Lake Forest for 25 years. He has been blessed to have raised five children in the community. He has over 40 years experience in the Food Industry in sales and supply chain. He strongly believes in God/Faith, Family/friends, and Country/community. Michael enjoys working on the Caucus as a representative of Ward 3 and helping to continue the legacy of Lake Forest as a desirable place to live.

Gordon Lamphere

Gordon Lamphere grew up in Lake Forest. He earned his BA from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and his law degree from Tulane University. Gordon competed as a professional sailor on the U.S. Sailing Team. He also coached Lake Forest and Lake Forest Academy’s High School Sailing Teams. In 2017, he returned to Lake Forest to join Van Vlissingen and Co., a commercial real estate development, brokerage, and management business

Lauren Hara

Lauren Hara lives in Lake Forest with her husband Randy and twin daughters. She acts as Vice President of Weisgal and Hara, Ltd. She is currently enrolled at the Northwestern School of Professional Studies to obtain her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certificate. Lauren is a room mother at Cherokee Elementary and she previously spent four years volunteering at the Forest Glen Community Club. Lauren graduated with a BA in English Literature from DePaul University. Lauren enjoys spending time with her family, often doing crafts and science projects with her daughters. When she can find a free moment, Lauren tries to indulge her love of non-fiction novels and podcasts.

Richard Daniels

Richard was born and raised in Lake Forest and is a 25-year resident. He has participated in local events throughout his upbringing and continues to give back to the Lake Forest community. As someone who has recently been through the Lake Forest public school system as a student, Richard brings a relatively unique perspective to the caucus.

A recent graduate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Richard works for the law firm Gordon & Rees in downtown Chicago. He also volunteers as a youth chess coach for ChessEd, teaching at several elementary schools in Lake Forest and throughout the Chicagoland area.

Joe Brickman

Joe Brickman grew up in Lake Forest and returned with his wife Katie and their two children in 2007. Joe has a BA in Economics from the University of Lynchburg.

Joe has held many senior leadership positions throughout his corporate career, the latest being the position of Chief Commercial Officer at NRS Inc., a division of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group. Joe looks forward to serving as a Caucus committee member of the 3rd Ward.

Susan Duffey

Susan Duffey is a realtor with @Properties in Lake Forest. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Susan and her husband moved to Lake Forest in 2012 to raise their family. They have two children who attend Deerpath Middle School and Everett Elementary School. She is an active volunteer for District 67 and a former sponsor of the Newcomers’ Club of Lake Bluff / Lake Forest. Susan is rooted in the community and has completed both the Citizen’s Police and Fire Academies. She is excited by the opportunity to volunteer her time as a Third Ward Caucus Committee member.

Mary Jane “MJ” Friedrich

Mary Jane (MJ) Friedrich and her husband Dave moved to Lake Forest from New Jersey in 2014. They have one son who will be entering Lake Forest High School in 2019. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. For the last 20 years, she has worked as a freelance science and medical writer and editor, writing for the medical news section of JAMA. MJ is originally from New Jersey and Dave hails from Rogers Park. They are particularly fond of the many forest preserves here on the Third Coast, where they enjoy walking their dog, Friday. MJ is excited to be able to contribute to the wonderful spirit of community here in Lake Forest.

Pam Morrison

Dr. Pamela Morrison has been living in Lake Forest for 27 years and has a private physical therapy practice. She has raised two children in Lake Forest who graduated Lake Forest High School. She is a member of the Lake Forest Recreation Center, the Lake Forest Health and Fitness, Dickinson Hall, and the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Morrison earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Science degree from Northwestern University, and a Doctor of Health Science from Midwestern University. She is excited about the caucus process, eager to learn, and willing to share her knowledge in assisting Lake Forest residents participate in city life.